Death is a big bummer. But chemicals used to preserve dead bodies are a big bummer, too.

Luckily, there are some folks who are dedicated to finding ways to “green” death. One way: placing a dead body in a compost bin and turning it into compost. Really.

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ColumnAdventures in urban composting.

“The worm compost bin is getting delivered next week, we can finally get the worms going again!”

“Finally!”

This is what we call a romantic Foodie Underground conversation.

Let me take a few steps back. No wait, let me start from the beginning.

As an only child that lived in the country, I spent a lot of time outside plotting my own adventures. One of my favorite summer activities was to dig through the dirt in the garden and collect earthworms in recycled yogurt containers that my mother used to plant seedlings. I would put a few in the yogurt container, and walk around with them, taking great care to look after my little soil dwellers. I called it worm babysitting. Yeah, country girl, I know.

Fast forward a couple of decades.

Earlier this year I moved into a small, no, wait… tiny apartment in a huge city (it’s Paris in case you were wondering). Funny how in some of the world’s most expansive metropolises the housing is quite the opposite. It has been an adventure in accommodating my favorite activities to fit the space. Cooking and baking is a careful dance between slicing, chopping and mixing and doing dishes in between so as to keep enough counter space open. Dinner parties are capped at six people, because more would be hard to fit around the table. But somehow, with enough effort and desire, it all works.

It was into this space that the worms would work and the resulting compost would be put to good use.

If you get excited about food, it’s easy to get excited about growing it yourself, no matter where you live. This is not backyard homesteading with raised beds and a chicken coop, this is working around obstacles like space and creating an urban sanctuary that includes some greenery and fresh herbs to cook with. I’ll be damned if I let minimal square footage get in the way of gardening and cooking.

The worms had been on hiatus and were waiting for a new home, hence the need for a new bin. When the first round of vermicompost was ready, we pulled terracotta planters into the tiny dining room and sat on the floor, mixing compost and fresh dirt and replanted basil, mint, parsley and chives. I prepped two containers for kale seeds that would be arriving the following week (kale is, after all, quite difficult to find in Paris).

There is something about putting your hands in the dirt. There is something even better about putting your hands in compost. Call me a dirty hippie – you won’t be the first – but to be able to create your own fertilizer to grow plants from your own food waste is in fact an incredible thing. Don’t believe me? Try it.

The compost bins sit under the kitchen sink. When you open up the top one, you can feel the warmth that the breakdown of organic material (or in our case, 97 percent coffee grounds) generates. A reminder that you don’t need to live in the country to take part in the natural cycle of things.

The kale arrived and it was planted immediately; we’ll see which one of the two varieties do best. Some baby basil and cilantro seeds are doing well in the kitchen, and all of the terracotta pots hang off of the window guard rail, creating our own little Hanging Gardens of Babylon, four floors up in the Parisian courtyard.

It’s not just about eating good food, it’s about being part of the process, no matter where you are. It’s not a farm, or a raised bed with seven varieties of heirloom tomatoes, but it’s something; a mini-contribution to being a part of growing what we eat. To top it all off, next week a friend is passing on a kombucha baby. Compost, kale and kombucha… and you thought Paris was only for croissants and fromage.

At least you know that those tiny six-person dinner parties will consist of kale appetizers and kombucha cocktails, and we’ll be composting the leftovers of course. I promise not to show off the worms.

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Images: Anna Brones

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At Free Spirit Spheres you can literally hang out in a Canadian forest.

How often do you stay in a handcrafted room? Not furniture wise, strictly speaking. But in an entire, spherical handcrafted structure (capsule, really) made from wood and fiberglass, which is then suspended from trees in a coastal rainforest on Vancouver Island? Never, you say. Well, it’s time to plan your next glamp-out in a circular porthole of your own.

Like something out of a surrealist Spanish movie, these convex structures look like giant eyeballs.

There are three Free Spirit Spheres: meet Melody, Eryn and Eve (whose details page is, naturally, called All About Eve). Well, they’d have to be female, offering such curvy, womb-like accommodation. Be warned: since they’re suspended, they do sway.

Designed with comfort and compactness in mind, rather than high style, each pod has a double bed and a small table for two. It’s a tight fit. Measuring three metres diameter, Eve (cedarwood) is on the cozy side, while Eryn (spruce) is slightly roomier, at 3.2m, with a second bed on a loft gallery, plus fridge and sink. Melody is the deluxe version, in yellow fiberglass with a walnut interior. She also features a drop-down bed.

Get back to nature when nature calls in the mushroom-shaped composting outhouse.

As if it needed mentioning, there’s no WIFI here, although there are speakers fitted for you to plug in your iPod: the very definition of surround sound. In a separate nearby building are bathrooms with showers, a sauna, and a barbeque deck.

Rates from $269 including tax, arrival snacks, and the gentle croaking of Pacific Tree Frogs.

Images: Free Spirit Spheres

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Free Spirit Spheres, Vancouver Island, Canada appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnAre you willing to shop package free?

If you’re reading this you probably bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. Maybe you even wash out your plastic produce bags until they’re in tatters. But how far are you willing to go down the no-packaging road?

If the Brothers Lane in Austin, TX have their way, you’ll eschew packaging all together and buy everything in bulk. You’ll bring cloth bags or pre-weighed plastic or glass containers to In.gredients, the store they plan to open this fall in East Austin. You’ll refill wine bottles and lotion containers. You’ll not purchase anything that comes in a box or package.

Their plan is to nudge Austinites along the path to no packaging, gently, by opening a package-free, zero waste grocery store that offers compostable and reusable containers to those who haven’t quite picked up the habit of bringing their own.

Why is this important? We send 1.4 billion pounds of waste to landfills per day in the US. 40% of it comes from packaging—much of it very convenient, but entirely unnecessary.

Think about it. Does cereal have to come in a bag AND a box? No, the box just makes for easy transport and shelving and provides convenient space for advertising. Eggs, on the other hand, kind of need to be transported in egg cartons. Luckily they’re compostable. Unfortunately Austin doesn’t offer curbside composting to residential customers. The city picks up yard waste, but unless you’re a really crack home composter, you’re going to have trouble composting packaging. Throwing compostable packaging in the garbage doesn’t address the issue. Hopefully people will reuse any compostable packaging the store provides as many times as possible.

Taking into account the impossibility of going 100% waste free, opening a store like this is still a bold move. Customers will be asked to completely change the way they shop. Cleaning products, beer, wine, lotions, oils, and such will all come in bulk, as will things like yogurt, milk, and other dairy products. Think about the center of the store with its shelves of packaged foods. It will not exist. This means no “good” processed foods like canned tomatoes and beans that make cooking from scratch quicker and easier.

“It sounds intriguing, but as far as I can tell the number of people that bring their own bags to the market – even at the farmer’s market – isn’t incredibly high, so I am not sure about folks bringing their own containers, said Briana Stone, East Austin resident. “Targeting food deserts is an interesting idea, and reducing waste is definitely important, but I hope they figure out how to keep the prices reasonable and  make their concept work for busy, not wealthy families. I plan to check it out when it opens,” she added.

Christian Lane, one of the founders of the market, addressed the issue of pleasing and attracting a diverse clientele:

“We’re hoping that our location, on the border between one somewhat gentrified neighborhood, and other less affluent neighborhoods will be an advantage in reaching the people who want and in cases need to get away from over-processed foods (and junk foods) and cook from scratch. There are many Latino immigrants and children of immigrants (us included) who have never stopped cooking from scratch. Post recession, people of all incomes and backgrounds are realizing that we need to slow down and do what we can to achieve sustainability.”

The store will offer produce, grains and legumes, spices, tea and coffee, dried fruits and nuts, baking ingredients, oils, dairy, and beer and wine. There will be animal proteins offered in proportion within the product mix to reflect the expense and resource intensiveness of their production. The focus will be on local, organic, non-processed pant-based foods without artificial ingredients. Products that require packaging for food safety will be “package light,” and recyclable and compostable whenever possible.

“We want to reduce waste, but we also want to offer better food at a fair price to everyone, while supporting farmers and food producers in our community,” said Lane. “We’re hoping to be a spark of change and an anchor in the neighborhood for the people that want to come along with us and make some simple changes. This will require education and community involvement – a very collaborative effort – which is something we’re really excited about,” he said.

The store is set to open this fall in a just-announced location in East Austin. The group hasn’t secured enough funding yet, but they announced early in hopes that the originality of their concept would attract the necessary funding.

Time will tell how many customers will go whole hog in supporting the store’s efforts by bringing containers, beyond the now pervasive reusable shopping bags. But I have high hopes. Think what could happen if the idea spread to other stores in other areas and we also got our food waste under control. A girl can dream.

This is the latest installment in Vanessa Barrington’s weekly column, The Green Plate, on the environmental, social, and political issues related to what and how we eat.

Images: BC Mom, Rubbermaid, Editor B, Boedker

The post BYOB at Austin’s Pending No Packaging Grocery Store appeared first on EcoSalon.

You finally hunkered down and started composting, you’re officially well versed on carbon-to-nitrogen ratios and you’ve even gotten your neighbors to seriously consider installing their own worm bins. But to fully become a composting master, you’ve got one final step to take: peeing outdoors.

Wait, what?

Outdoor peeing is no longer reserved for the backcountry; it might just be the next step in the composting revolution. Your compost bin might not come off as a Honey Bucket, but in England, the National Trust is actually promoting peeing outdoors in order to make the country greener.

At the National Trust’s Wimpole Hall, gardeners installed a three meter long pee bale, where male visitors are highly encouraged to relieve themselves. The action actually helps activate the composting process, producing a free supply of compost and reducing water supply. Less trips to the toilet means more water saves.

You might not be ready to add plein air peeing to your morning chore list, but for this National Trust estate, the male gardeners and workers taking part in the activity is having a positive effect.

“The pee bale is excellent matter to add to our compost heap to stimulate the composting process; and with over 400 acres of gardens and parkland to utilise compost, we need all the help we can get,” says Head Gardener Philip Whaites.

The only question is: what happens in the colder, winter months?

Image: mjmonty

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To be or not to be – compost worthy? That is the question Hamlet might pose if the play were written in 2010 and his so-called “sea of troubles”  meant environmental destruction such as the Gulf spill, coral devastation or floating plastic islands. In a time of waste not, we need to question when it is okay to throw away food to produce fertilizer or other sustainable uses.

Since the old directive to clean our plates no longer applies (not in a nation fighting an epidemic of obesity) we end up with a lot of extra food on our plates and tables. Sometimes the portions we serve kids and guests are too abundant. We are left to decide whether or not to wrap up leftovers, feed them to hungry pets or grab the kitchen bin to make mulch.

Don’t let it go to the dogs!

Most experts would agree table leftovers are rarely good for our dogs, despite the fact it feels good to share. “Smoky loves turkey,” my daughters coo, often tossing our pug a handful of meat or a bone. According to Pet Education, a morsel off your plate here and there probably won’t hurt, but most people don’t stop there with those perpetual, adorable moochers. And even healthy organic cuisine recommended for us might not go down so well with God’s other creatures. What about your other pets? Find more info here.

“Feed me more tofu and lentils!”

“The rich foods we eat can wreak havoc on your dog’s digestive tract,” warns Animal Planet. “A simple, consistent diet keeps their system functioning as it should. Throw in your very different foods and spices and do not be surprised if your dog has bad gas, bad breath, loose stools, etc.” Hey, none of those side effects are any fun when your little guy sleeps on your bed. That pertains to big guys, too!

Was the food untouched?

Sometimes the scraps we save for ourselves can be bad for the system, too, depending on who dined on them, how long they sat out, and if the cat licked them with her scratchy tongue while standing on the table with her cat litter-covered contaminated feet. My cat learned to mooch from my pug and she is relentless.

I have a few rules about the scraps. For one thing, I never save anything a baby has sucked on because of the gross factor. Sure, I licked my own babies’ toes, but that is different from their soggy, 1/4 eaten Noah’s bagel.

In terms of wrapping it to go in my fridge or pantry, I consider it if it was just my family that at the meal. If that ‘s the case,  I’m obviously more inclined to fridge that other untouched half of a perfectly good turkey sandwich, bowl of pasta or veggie fried rice. I know when my children are healthy, and when they are teeming with germs, they don’t usually eat at the family table. I try to clear the table dishes before animals can get to the food (yes, even when the finale of The Office is starting) and use my best judgment to decide if the saved food will really get eaten. If it won’t, it makes more sense to recycle it as compost, and very rarely does it simply go down the drain.

Guest who’s not eating their dinner?

When guests dine at our table, it is a different story. Call it squeamishness, but I’m more hesitant to save plated food because of fear of germs. Blood is thicker than water and the leftovers of those with different blood can be repugnant. Still, it’s painful to toss a hardly touched plate, and on occasion, I save food off kids’ plates because they simply didn’t eat much and their hands were clean when they sat down. A second helping of macaroni ignored; a bowl of fruit shunned; an ample helping of broccoli that never entered the mouth of steel. I see no problem with keeping those items for dinner or breakfast, or doing what chefs do, and recycling them for a soup or other new dish.

Hunger versus health.

I guess it comes down to what you can stomach and afford. I’ve heard that hungry waiters and other staff working in snazzy Berkeley restaurants often scarf up the five-star fillets and fudge cake barely eaten by a customer. They’re not letting those dishes artfully composed by a celebrity chef go down the drain.

Then again, every day, businesses trash completely untouched food because of health codes. I’ve watched a Noah’s Bagels in my San Francisco hood at closing time unload boxes of bagels into a dumpster on the street.

The final extreme is my ungreen mother, who insists upon throwing out anything left on the table, and even cleaning untouched plates and utensils because they were exposed to the air and potential germs. We all make up our own rules. Ideally, the ones we enforce will result in healthy bodies and a healthy planet.

Images: Jbloom, Pet Education, 1000 Heads

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In a tight urban space, committing to compost isn’t the easiest of feats. But in Washington, D.C. residents will soon be able to reap the benefits of composting without dealing with its difficulties.

Launching this spring, Compost Cab will provide customers with a bin which can then be filled with all kinds of compostables. Once a week, Compost Cab will pick up the organic material and compost it for you. For every 50 pounds of organic waste that Compost Cab collects from a customer, the customer is entitled to five pounds of fresh compost and one pound of worm castings in exchange. That’s a screaming deal for you and your plants.

For those who don’t have yard or garden space but still want to take part in the composting effort, Compost Cab will donate the customer’s share of compost to Engaged Community Offshoot, an urban farm that aims to provide people from all walks of life with sustainable, fresh produce.

But D.C. isn’t the only area with composting services. In Northampton, MA, residents can take advantage of composting services offered by Pedal People, with your organic waste being collected by bike. Same goes for the people of Philadelphia, who can call on Pedal Co-op to pick up their kitchen waste.

Are you an urbanite with a creative way of composting? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Image: SaltyGrease

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Even if you’re well aware of the benefits of composting your kitchen scraps, keeping smelly food waste and creepy-crawly grubs close by in your backyard might not sound so appealing. I admit, a compost bin isn’t at the top of my list to earn a spot on my city terrace. But some compost piles are easier to manage than others, and when I read about the BioPod Plus, it sounded doable.

While you can create a DIY compost bin out of a coffee can or bigger garbage can, first time composters will probably feel more comfortable with a gadget that will make the task easier. The BioPod Plus is bio-conversion system made for residential situations and small enough for city dwellers to handle. The design of the bin not only helps your scraps keep from stinking up a storm, it also helps kitchen scraps break down fast – in as little as 24 hours. In a few weeks, you’ll have compost that’s ready to be used in the garden or in potted plants. With an average compost pile, you’ll have to wait 6 to 12 months!

Yes, there are grubs involved, but the folks at BioPod assure us they’re the nice kind and even kids can gather the scent-free worms. They might even attract songbirds like cardinals, bluebirds or chickadees. And again, the design of the bin makes it easier because unlike many compost piles in which you need to separate the grubs by hand (yuck!), the BioPod’s design encourages the buggers to migrate out naturally.

In the end, you’ll save energy by skipping the garbage disposal and you’re keeping your food waste out of landfills, too.

Image: lindsay.dee.bunny

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Get a group of pet owners together, and the conversation inevitably turns to poo. Pet owners, like new parents, love to trade war stories. I won’t go into detail, but if you’re a pet owner, you know what I’m talking about. But while you’re swapping those horror stories, consider chatting about the most eco-friendly ways to dispose of your pet’s business. Here are a few tips for a variety of pets:

Dogs

None of us responsible pet owners would ever dream of not scooping our dog’s poop (right?), but once Fido goes, where should the poop go? According to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the average dog can produce around 274 pounds of waste per year. Considering that quantity, the worst thing you can do – other than leave it behind – is to scoop it up with a plastic bag and toss it in the garbage. The best option is to use a biodegradable bag, tote it home and flush it, allowing your dog’s poop to be processed through the sanitation system. Another sustainable option is to compost your dog’s poop. You can invest in a composter or make your own, but note that you can not use dog-waste compost in food gardens because of harmful pathogens.

Cats

Here’s the scoop on kitty litter: Clay and clumping cat litters contain a number of toxic chemicals that can get on your cat as she goes. Later, when your kitty cleans herself, she licks up those toxic components. Clay litter is strip-mined and is not biodegradable. In fact, a non-profit organization, Cats Against Clay, fights the use of this type of litter. An array of eco-friendly options are available, from recycled newspaper to wheat. However, even “flushable” options should not be flushed because our sewage treatment plants can’t process the dangerous parasite Toxoplasma gondii – which can infect humans and is particularly dangerous to pregnant women. For this same reason, composting kitty litter is discouraged.

Small Animals

For those of you with rats, gerbils, or other small pets, eco-friendly disposal methods get a little trickier because bedding and litter are the same thing. Like kitty litter, it’s not recommended to compost or flush small animal feces because of the risk of spreading disease. Instead, consider replacing your pet’s litter with an eco-friendly alternative like LifeMate’s Hemp Small Animal Bedding. Or, if you happen to compost with worms, small animal droppings can feed the worms. But don’t collect wild rodent droppings, which might contain the Hantavirus.

Birds

The simplest eco-friendly option for bird cages is to use newspaper. Many of the commercial products – tear-away liners, corn husks, walnut shells, etc. – are wasteful and potentially harmful. Don’t subscribe to the paper? Use your junk mail or check with your neighbors to see if they’d pass along their day-old newspaper. One caveat: Watch out for glossy or coated pages, which might be printed with ink that is toxic to birds.

Images: zappowbang, wolfsavard, dbgg1979, BekiPe

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In addition to being a strong and versatile material for making everything from flooring to vases, bamboo just looks be-yoo-tiful. Take a minute to drool over these five bamboo products that we just love, love, love.

Daryl Hannah’s Worm Bin

Ecorazzi spied this gorgeous 3-quart kitchen compost bucket at Daryl Hannah’s eco-friendly home goods website. It’s only 40 bucks and looks good enough to leave in the corner of the kitchen instead of hidden under the sink.

Lexon Coffee Set for Two

This coffee set from Lexon comes with two coffee cups, two tiny spoons and a swanky bamboo tray that also includes two slide out coasters – so you don’t have to worry about leaving a ring on your table. This set would look awesome on a bistro table because it’s just too pretty to stash in a cupboard until you need it.

Gaiam Bath Ladder

Here’s a handmade bamboo ladder that’s sealed with a moisture-resistant finish so it’s perfect for the bathroom. Drape magazines or plush towels over the rungs, or just lean it against the wall and let it be pretty all on its own.

Bamboo Flatware

Perfect for your next picnic, this whimsical flatware is way more environmentally friendly than disposable plasticware, and looks a heck of a lot better, too. Crate & Barrel says it’s sturdier than hardwood so the serrated knife edge won’t get dull.

Staggered Bookshelf

This shelf would look spectacular in any room in your home. It’s offbeat enough to make it the focal point in your living room and versatile enough to hold everything from books to extra-tall vases.

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